Their Last Apologies
by Goopy Sentimentalist
Summary: After Lucrecia is released from the crystal, she meets with Vincent.


Their Last Apologies

Disclaimer: Don't own the characters or the game.

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Tonight was the night when he would see her again. The scientists didn't know what to call it, but he was more than willing to call it a miracle that she had been somehow released from the crystal. He had received a letter from her the week previously, simply asking if she could meet with him. He agreed without any hesitation.

When he heard the knock on his door, his heart raced. When he saw Lucrecia for the first time, unimpeded by the crystal, he had to refrain from pulling her into an embrace and never letting go. For a moment they didn't speak.

"I missed you," said Vincent.

"I know," said Lucrecia, sounding as though she wanted to say something else. "Vincent, I'm sorry...about everything that's happened."

"You've no need to apologize," replied Vincent.

"But I do," insisted Lucrecia.

"No," said Vincent. Lucrecia shook her head, but Vincent wasn't finished. "Lucrecia, I'm sorry."

Her shoulders slumped, resigned. "I'd say we're even," he said after a long pause.

Lucrecia let out a sad chuckle. "It's not that easy."

"It can be," replied Vincent.

He studied her; she was wearing a lilac dress. Her shoulders weren't hidden under a lab coat today and Vincent noticed how absolutely perfect they were. Her lips were more pink than he remembered; was she wearing lip gloss? "Why did you come here?" he asked neutrally.

One thing he had learned from Yuffie was that girls didn't dress up just to apologize unless they really liked someone. The same went for guys, too. So here they were, him in a dark suit, and her in a pretty dress. And they both had apologized, but Lucrecia hadn't answered his question.

_You're all I have left,_ thought Lucrecia. It was true, of course, but it wasn't the only reason. Having years upon years to do nothing but think had made her realize something. At first she had been so torn up with guilt, she hadn't wanted Vincent near her. But when Vincent had visited the cave a couple years later, she found that the raw emotion had been replaced with purpose. Gaia was in trouble, and Vincent could be the one to save it. And she had helped him, however indirectly. She found that his gratitude was overwhelming. But it wasn't all gratitude; it was something else too. She couldn't ignore feelings like that.

"I wanted to come," she said simply.

"To apologize?"

"Well, yes. And no. I mean," she said. How had someone as professional and confident as her get so tongue-tied? "Is it wrong that I just wanted to see you?" she asked quietly. Her head was down, otherwise she would have seen Vincent's eyes widen.

"Absolutely not."

By the time Lucrecia looked up again, his face was composed. He reached out and gently pushed a strand of her out of her face, his hand brushing against her cheek for a moment.

With some hesitation, Lucrecia put her hand on Vincent's shoulder before quickly removing it.

"You had something on your suit," she explained hastily.

"I'm sure," he said.

For all the time they had spent together, it was usually Lucrecia who made Vincent blush, but now it was her turn to feel her cheeks burn up. Oh yes, Vincent had definitely changed and she found her heartbeat speed up just a little. Vincent turned to the table behind him.

"Would you like something to drink?"

"Ah…alright," said Lucrecia, thinking that perhaps the last thing she should be doing is drinking. But she accepted the wine and sat down at the table. She drank the wine quickly. Vincent lifted the glass to his lips, sitting down as well. Had they been two normal people, they might have asked each other how they'd been, but these two already knew.

"I'm working for the WRO now," said Vincent. "You could too."

"Oh, I couldn't, I'm out of practice," said Lucrecia. "After all, it's been so many years…" she trailed off uncomfortably.

"You were ahead of your time, Lucrecia," replied Vincent. "There's a place for you here." But he knew that it would take some time for her to believe it, so he didn't force the matter. "Would you like more?" he asked.

"No thank you," she answered.

"I have something-," he began, but with a dying hum, the lights flickered out.

It was dark but for the light coming in through the single window. Lucrecia stood up and walked over to the window and saw that the buildings across from Vincent's apartment were also dark. She sat down on the bed and continued to look-

_His bed?_ She shivered without quite realizing why and rubbed her hands on her arms, uselessly fighting the goosebumps that had attacked. She felt silk slipping over her bare shoulders; it was Vincent's coat. He remained standing at her side looking out the window as well.

"This is pretty common," he explained. "The power grid is old. It's supposed to be replaced, but no one knows how soon that'll be."

"How long does it take for the power to come back?" she asked.

"Maybe an hour or two." He sat down on the bed leaving a respectable distance between the two. She noticed that he sat straight up, his long hair covering his face. She took a chance and inched closer until their bodies were touching. He seemed to have been waiting for her because he put his arm around her without any hesitation. At the close proximity, she found that he smelled very nice, though she couldn't place the scent.

"What are you thinking about?" asked Lucrecia, trying to make conversation.

"How everything that's happened up till now has been for a reason. But I-," he started. "Never mind. It's nothing. It's better to focus on what's happening now."

Lucrecia sighed. "It's easier said than done. Especially for me. Everything I've done-"

Without warning, Vincent stood up. "What is it?" she asked. His only response was to hold out his hand. She took it and stood up. He pulled her into his arms, the jacket falling to the floor.

"Vincent?" she asked. Her hands were at her sides, but before she could even think of returning the embrace, Vincent stepped back.

"No matter what you think of yourself, I love you, Lucrecia," he said. Her eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. She'd known, but the fact that he'd said it made it different. More solid. And now, she felt ready to accept it.

He reached out and traced his hand down her arm lightly before taking her hand and lifting it to his lips. He heard Lucrecia's breath quicken slightly and he raised his eyes to meet hers. "Are you alright?" he asked, concerned, letting go of her hand.

"I'm fine," said Lucrecia, still in mild disbelief, but it was fading fast, being replaced by a feeling of lightness. "I…I love you, too." She closed the distance between them, and wrapped her arms around his neck. He kissed her hair, wrapping his arms around her for the second time that night. For two people that had been plagued by so many doubts and fears, it felt more sure and safe than he could ever have imagined.

A/N: Out of all the stories that I put on , this was probably one of the most difficult to write. 'Costa Night' takes place before the games, whereas this takes place afterwards. I really had to work hard to dive into Vand L's head to try and see if there was a way to make this pairing work, as a lot of time has passed and the characters have changed. It was very much a line by line process and I agonized over the dialogue and word choice quite a bit and I SERIOUSLY agonized over whether this ending was okay or if I should add more. In the end, I can only hope that you guys enjoy the story.


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